Daily Current Affairs and GK | 15 and 16 August 2024

Topic: MoUs and Agreements

1. An MoU signed by India & US to promote cooperation on Small & Medium Enterprises.

• An MoU signed between the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and the Small Business Administration (SBA) of the Government of the United States of America to promote cooperation on Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs).
• On August 13, the MoU was signed in New Delhi between S C L Das, Secretary, Ministry of MSMEs, and Isabel Casillas Guzman, SBA Administrator, Government of the United States of America.
• The MoU provides a framework for both parties to discuss MSME-related issues and explore possibilities of cooperation.
• It envisages an exchange of expertise between the two sides on issues related to improving the participation of MSMEs in the global markets.
• It also provides for organizing joint programmes to empower women entrepreneurs and facilitate business partnerships between women-owned small businesses of two countries.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

2. Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will be the new head coach of India's junior men's team.

• Following India's bronze medal victory at the 2024 Olympics, Hockey India (HI) has announced that retiring goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will become the junior men's hockey team's next head coach.
• PR Sreejesh had announced his retirement from the sport after the Paris Olympics.
• India won the bronze medal for the second consecutive time by defeating Spain 2-1 due to the brilliant performance of the Indian goalkeeper.
• In 2017, he received the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, and in 2021, he awarded the Khel Ratna, the country's highest sporting honor.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

3. 28th Central & State Statistical Organizations Conference Concluded in New Delhi.

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (has organized the 28th conference of central and state statistical organizations.
• The theme of this conference was the ‘Use of Data for Decision Making- Strengthening State Statistical System.’
• A wide range of subjects of common interest between Central and State Government departments were discussed during the conference.
• Representatives of more than 30 Central Ministries and departments with State and Union Territories attended the conference.
• Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh had inaugurated the conference.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Corporates/Companies

4. NPCI incorporated NPCI BHIM Services as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) incorporated Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
• The new entity is known as NPCI-BHIM Services Ltd (NBSL).
• Lalitha Nataraj will be the chief executive officer (CEO) of the new subsidiary.
• Lalitha Nataraj has earlier worked with IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Bank.
• Rahul Handa will be chief business officer (CBO) of NPCI-BHIM Services Ltd (NBSL).
• He had worked as the executive vice president at the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
• At present, PhonePe and Google Pay jointly process about 85% of UPI volumes in India.